Resilience
by articcat621
Summary: He didn't know if she was mad, or if she was truly that resilient.


In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the SomethingWorthFightingFor collection.

All canon character, plots, and situations from the Harry Potter series belong to JK Rowling. I am not profiting from this work.

Thank you to my beta gaeilgerua for their time and work on this story.

Prompt **:** And before he could say a word she had cried, "Oooh, look, a Blibbering Humdinger!" and pointed out of the window. -Luna Lovegood (Deathly Hallows, book)

* * *

 **Resilience**

Lucius walked down the stone steps towards the dungeons in the cellar of his manor. He had to check on their latest _guest_. He rolled his eyes at the thought. Guest. He didn't know why the Dark Lord insisted that the girl stay in the Manor. She could have easily been kept elsewhere. Although, he supposed that it'd be safer she stayed with them. Other Death Eaters wouldn't take too kindly towards the strange girl.

His dragonhide boots clicked on the stone floor. He pulled his robes around himself a little more tightly as there was a chill in the air. He stopped in front of her cell, glancing inside.

The Lovegood girl was sitting on the floor, humming to herself softly as she braided her dirty, matted, blonde hair. Lucius sighed. He didn't know how the girl had turned out to be so strange. He suspected that was all Xenophilius's doing, after Pandora died. He had known Pandora briefly before he married Narcissa. Most Pureblood families knew each other, after all.

"Hello, Mr Malfoy," Luna stated politely, smiling at her captor.

"Good evening," he greeted her stiffly. "I brought you dinner." He slid the tray of food in. It wasn't much… Just bread and water, but he knew that she would politely thank him. Just as she always did.

"Thank you, Mr Malfoy."

Lucius watched the girl as she finished braiding her hair before turning towards her food. She ate carefully, her movements demonstrating that she still possessed proper Pureblood etiquette despite her odd mannerisms.

"May I make a request, Mr Malfoy?" Luna asked, meeting his gaze.

Lucius was silent for a moment, considering her request. "You may," he said after a moment. While she was a prisoner, she was merely there in a way to curb her father's public statements. She wasn't tortured, and she certainly wasn't being held for information.

"May I have a piece of fruit tomorrow?"

The request was so simple, he nearly lost his cooled expression. "You may, Miss Lovegood." Turning on his heel, he left the girl to her own devices. He could feel her gaze on his back as he walked away, the feeling unsettling.

* * *

The next day, Lucius brought the young witch her meal of the day as he always did. It was bread and water, and today, he brought her an apple. When he handed her the tray, she looked as if she were going to burst into tears.

"Thank you, Mr Malfoy, for being so kind." Luna gave him the warmest smile… a smile that a girl imprisoned shouldn't possess.

He opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off. "You've got Wrackspurts, you know."

Lucius cleared his throat. "What in Merlin's name is a Wrackspurts?" He arched a brow, knowing that the witch could be quite delusional. A small part of him was curious, though.

"A Wrackspurt... They're invisible. They float in through your ears and make your brain go fuzzy, I thought I felt one zooming around in here." Luna smiled.

Lucius looked at Luna in disbelief. "And… what do these creatures look like?"

Luna shrugged nonchalantly. "They're invisible, so no one knows."

"Then how do you know it exists?" Lucius countered.

"I just do," Luna replied, giving him that knowing smile of hers once more. Like she knew something he didn't.

Lucius turned on his heel, exiting the room.

"Good night, Mr Malfoy!" Luna called after his retreating form. "Thank you again for the apple!"

Her words followed him all the way up to his private study. Lucius poured himself a small glass of Odgen's before drinking it. He then poured another.

Lucius simply couldn't understand Luna Lovegood. He didn't understand how she was so unaffected by everything going on. She slept on a dirty floor in his dungeons… How could she still carry on polite conversation with him? How could she smile and braid her hair as if there wasn't a care in the world?

He didn't know if she was mad, or if she was truly that resilient. Either way, he found himself drawn to the witch.

* * *

"I haven't heard from Draco," Narcissa said, sitting next to him in bed late one night. "I… I worry, Lucius," she said softly.

Lucius nodded, knowing what Narcissa meant. "I'm sure he's fine, Narcissa."

She scoffed and he knew he misspoke. "I'm sure he's acting just as he's expected to," Narcissa snapped, her hands clenching into small fists. "I just… He's so young. Too young to experience what he's been forced to." Lucius was unsurprised at the bitterness in Narcissa's tone.

The years since the Dark Lord's return had been difficult on them all. If he could turn back time, he would. He would refuse his father's directive to join the Dark Lord in the first place. He never would have followed if he knew what suffering his family would go through. While he still believed in upholding Pureblood ideals, the Dark Lord's way wasn't the right one. The price was far too steep.

"He's a Malfoy," was all Lucius could say. He didn't know what else to say. Every night he fell asleep to images of Draco torturing other students. He never wanted that for his son. "I never wanted him to follow my footsteps," he said softly.

"When this is over, Lucius, I want a divorce." Narcissa spoke the words so softly, he almost didn't hear her.

His heart ached at the thought. While he and Narcissa didn't marry for love, he had found a comfortable relationship with her. She supported him through it all. He would miss her, but he knew he would be fine.

"As you wish," Lucius spoke, knowing there was nothing else to do. Once Narcissa had made up her mind, there was no changing it.

As he fell asleep that night, his thoughts swam with the images of Draco and Luna, both too young to have experienced the horrors of war. He could only pray that it would be over soon.

* * *

"Do you still have that girl, Lucius?"

He nearly froze at his sister-in-law's words. "Girl?" He inquired.

Bellatrix cackled with delight. "Yes, the Looney one! Did you know her father called us the other day to say that he had Potter? Of course the boy escaped before we could catch him." She snarled. "Xenophilius was a sobbing mess, you should have seen him begging for his daughter." Bellatrix scoffed.

Lucius frowned. "I was not aware." He tried not to scowl.

Bellatrix looked like the cat that caught the canary. "Perhaps you are not as close to the Dark Lord as you once believed, hmmm, Lucy?" Bellatrix laughed. "Tell Cissy I'll be over for tea soon. I'd love to play with your new toy." The look in her eyes made Lucius wary.

Lucius didn't respond, but he knew one thing: he would not let Bellatrix get her hands on Luna. While she had been captured, she still had some innocence. He would not let Bellatrix take even more from her.

The resolution in his heart startled him.

* * *

Lucius warred with himself as he walked down the steps. Potter had been spotted in Hogsmeade, and Lucius knew that the end of the war was near. The Dark Lord was going to be defeated. The thought nearly made him sigh with relief.

He stopped in front of Luna's cell. Pulling out his wand, he unlocked the cell and opened the door. He reached out his hand towards her. "Come."

Luna stared at him, eyes open in surprise at his actions. She stared at his outstretched hand before taking it lightly. Her small fingers held onto his. A small gasp escaped her lips as he pulled her into his arms. To his surprise, she hugged him tightly.

He held her tightly before Disapparating her to just outside of the manor gates. Reaching into his robes, he pulled out her wand and returned it to her.

"Mr Malfoy," Luna began, glancing up at him with her knowing gaze.

"There isn't time," Lucius cut her off. "Potter is at Hogwarts. Spread the word. The Dark Lord will come for him."

Luna smiled at him in that dreamy way that she did. "Ooooh, you've got a Blibbering Humdinger over near your peacocks, Mr Malfoy."

A part of him wanted to scoff at her response, and another part of him wanted to see if there was actually a Blibbering whatever it was called near his peacocks. He restrained from both as he knew that she understood what he was asking of her. He knew that she would alert the Order. They would be ready for the Dark Lord.

"Be careful."

"We'll meet again, Mr Malfoy," Luna said quietly, smiling at him. "Until then." She stood on her tiptoes, briefly pressing her lips against his in the gentlest of touches. Luna pulled away, smiling at his stunned expression.

He watched the small witch Disapparate with a determined expression on her face, his chest aching slightly. He cursed moments later when his Dark Mark burned. It was time.


End file.
